Money Matters, Simplified.
Adolescent obesity linked to multiple sclerosis
by Neka Sehgal - January 25, 2010 - comments
A new study suggests that obese adolescents have an increased risk of developing the neurodegenerative disorder, multiple sclerosis
Boston, MA, January 25 -- A new study exploring the links between health during adolescence and development of chronic disease later in life found growing evidence that excessive weight during adolescence is associated with an increased risk for the neurodegenerative disorder multiple sclerosis (MS).
Kassandra L. Munger of the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston who led the study stated, "Our hypothesis was that obesity would be associated with an increased risk of multiple sclerosis.
"That adolescent obesity rather than childhood or adulthood obesity was associated with disease is consistent with the body of literature suggesting that exposures during adolescence may be particularly important in determining multiple sclerosis risk."
Details of the study
The researchers conducted a study to examine the co-relation between obesity during childhood, adolescence, and adulthood, and the risk of MS.
They collected data on 238,000 women in the Nurses' Health Study I and Nurses' Health Study II, and analyzed factors of obesity in different age groups for the incidence of MS. Over the course of 40 years, 593 of the participants were diagnosed with MS.
Adolescent obesity boosts multiple sclerosis
The researchers found a link between being overweight and a heightened risk of developing MS.
They noted that while obesity at ages 5 or 10 was not risky for MS, the subjects with an obese Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30 or more at the age of 18 were twice at risk for the disease in later life as opposed to those with a lower BMI.
However, there was no variation in the results even after taking into account lifestyle factors like smoking status and physical activity level.
Munger stated, “Obese adolescents have an increased risk of developing multiple sclerosis and this result suggests that prevention of adolescent obesity may contribute to reduced MS risk.”
Details of the study have been published in the November 2009 issue of the medical journal ‘Neurology’.
A little about multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis is a disease in which the nerves of the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) degenerate.
The disease affects the nerves, and the victims experience a progressive physical disability, disrupting functions that are controlled by the nervous system such as vision, speech, walking, writing, and memory.
Nearly 350,000 people in the U.S. have been afflicted with multiple sclerosis. Although the disease is generally diagnosed between 20 and 50 years of age, it sometimes also develops in children and in the elderly.
The cause of MS is still unknown and there is no cure for the ailment. However, new research and treatment methods are being investigated and are expected to offer some hope to people with the disease.